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Monday, 4 January 2016

See Why Prof. Nicholas Ada and 13 Other Former Ministers Will Not Get Severance Packages

Prof Nicholas Ada, the former- Minister of State for Foreign Affairs I and at least 13 other ministers from the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan will not receive any severance package from President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

According to The Nation, the former ministers will not be paid having allegedly failed to meet the requirements for benefitting from any severance package from the federal government .

The ex-ministers that may forfeit their severance package are said to have spent less than two years in office to qualify for the package.

Investigation revealed that the Buhari administration has stuck to the implementation of the terms of appointment of the over 14 former ministers.

A clause in their appointment letters reads in part: “Severance Allowance of 300 %of Annual Basic Salary payable after full tenure of office with government. The allowance will be pro-rated after a minimum of two years tenure.”

It was learnt that some of the affected ex-ministers barely spent a year or three months in office.

In this category are Nicholas Akise Ada (Benue)- Minister of State for Foreign Affairs I Senator Musiliu Obanikoro (Lagos)-Minister of State for Foreign Affairs II; Mr Kenneth Kobani (Rivers)-Minister of State for Trade and Investment; Patricia Akwashiki (Nasarawa)-Minister of Information;; Augustine Akobundu (Abia)- Minister of State for Defence; Fidelis Nwankwo (Ebonyi)-Minister of State for Health; Hauwa Lawan (Jigawa)-Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs and

A source said: “The affected ex-ministers have been notified that they are not entitled to severance package in whatever form.

“They have not met the official requirements for severance package and they won’t get it.

“I think those affected should be up to 20. So far, more than half of those in Jonathan’s cabinet will not get severance package.

“If they had been paid in error, we would have asked them to refund the severance allowance.”

It is also gathered that most of the new 36 ministers inherited decrepit offices, making it difficult for them to settle down for work.

The situation varies from ministry to ministry.

In some ministries,ministers met no official vehicles, while in others, the treasuries were practically empty with no imprest to meet basic needs.

The spokesman for the Jonathan cabinet, ex-Minister of National Planning, Dr. Abubakar Olanrewaju Suleiman, said: “To the best of my knowledge, most ministers returned their official vehicles. The necessary handover procedures were fully complied with.

“If there is any issue in a ministry, you can bring it up and we will crosscheck the facts for you.

“It is also true that some of the former ministers will not get severance package because they did not stay in office for two years.

“And as for those entitled to severance package, not all of them have been paid. This is to show you that ex-President Goodluck Jonathan did not abuse the privilege of office. Unlike previous administrations, Jonathan did not give his ministers any exit bonanza or package.”